GDT: Coilers @ Canucks, Oct 4/14, 7PM PDT, SNP/W/O/E/One

[SKYO]

So is Sbisa going to distract me from my Edler-hate?

nope, I think Edler's rebound year will.

[Hockey Widow]

Notice no Edler drop pass on the PP? Hope that one is wiped from the books.

[Arachnid]

5-2 preseason...I know I know...

You know we played the cOilers and Phlems twice?!

[kelowna kanuck]

I don't buy the "vets do not want to extend themselves in the pre season" argument for a second. FFS, they were playing the oilers. And even worse, playing the oilers with 9 starters not even dressed against your vancouver canucks starting lineup.. !
Forget about compete level in preseason, what about Pride level regardless of where you are in the season??
Last night there was obviously none of each.
Also, as indicated by a few other posters, I think I saw Burrows skating the last few games with a fork sticking out of him. Seriously.
Everytime Sbisa got the puck I switched the channel to home shopping network... calm and predictable, however I did end up buying the roku streaming media stick with premium suite... whatever the fuck that is.
Positives? Vrbata with the Sedins looks like it could be a great fit.
I think JB may be active sooner than later..

[Chef Boi RD]

Yeah spot on, Kelowna Canuck. The Oilers without most of their starters and us with all of ours. Hey CC open up the flood gates on the 'Flip the Switch' to help u sleep at night. The Canucks starting line-up played hard, but the Oilers were not phased by it, a sign of maturity and a team finally listening to their coach in the Oilers and a sign that the Canucks are truly mid to bottom feeders until we get over the Sedin years and onto the 'next'. The denial continues, even I suffer from it. The Sedin line will keep giving us hope but they are old and they are alone. Burrows is done. Sbisa? Fuck he's as dumb as Sopel.

[rats19]

5-2 preseason...I know I know...

You know we played the cOilers and Phlems twice?!

Hence the ....I know...I know

[Iceman2014]

Well, I guess that wraps the pre-season. I am a bit concerned about our scoring. I don't see much of an upgrade. We definitely need an upgrade in that area and Vrbata wasn't enough.

I have faith in Benning. He made lots of moves but it is a process. I am sure he wants the regular season to begin to make additional evaluations. Pre-season isn't the time to panic but there is reason for concern. We dressed most of our starters and they barely edged out a Coilers team that was missing two of its top forwards.

I also think I am kinda done with the Sedins being our top line. I know we don't have any heirs apparent but we need to work on that. Maybe one day Hunter will be part of line 1 or Virtanen. I don't think Horvat will be a line 1 centre and I don't think we have a top line centre in the system. Lots of work to be done here...

[Chef Boi RD]

Well, I guess that wraps the pre-season. I am a bit concerned about our scoring. I don't see much of an upgrade. We definitely need an upgrade in that area and Vrbata wasn't enough.

I have faith in Benning. He made lots of moves but it is a process. I am sure he wants the regular season to begin to make additional evaluations. Pre-season isn't the time to panic but there is reason for concern. We dressed most of our starters and they barely edged out a Coilers team that was missing two of its top forwards.

I also think I am kinda done with the Sedins being our top line. I know we don't have any heirs apparent but we need to work on that. Maybe one day Hunter will be part of line 1 or Virtanen. I don't think Horvat will be a line 1 centre and I don't think we have a top line centre in the system. Lots of work to be done here...

Yeah that's the reality of the situation but I am finding comfort in that we have the right people in place to rebuild the Canucks back to glory. Its gonna take a while but the building blocks are there, we just need to keep adding to this next gen of Canucks and hopefully there is an elite star or two in that group.

[Iceman2014]

Well, I guess that wraps the pre-season. I am a bit concerned about our scoring. I don't see much of an upgrade. We definitely need an upgrade in that area and Vrbata wasn't enough.

I have faith in Benning. He made lots of moves but it is a process. I am sure he wants the regular season to begin to make additional evaluations. Pre-season isn't the time to panic but there is reason for concern. We dressed most of our starters and they barely edged out a Coilers team that was missing two of its top forwards.

I also think I am kinda done with the Sedins being our top line. I know we don't have any heirs apparent but we need to work on that. Maybe one day Hunter will be part of line 1 or Virtanen. I don't think Horvat will be a line 1 centre and I don't think we have a top line centre in the system. Lots of work to be done here...

Yeah that's the reality of the situation but I am finding comfort in that we have the right people in place to rebuild the Canucks back to glory. Its gonna take a while but the building blocks are there, we just need to keep adding to this next gen of Canucks and hopefully there is an elite star or two in that group.

Yeah, I think we have the pieces for our future lines 2, 3 and 4 but we're lacking elite scoring. The D prospects aren't looking too stellar either but we have a couple of blue chippers there. I just think I am tired of the same cast (not as many this year) getting the same, steadily decreasing results.

Honestly, I am almost ready to burn this season and go for a top 6 pick in the draft. Apparently the top 2 guys are elite and 3-6 are just slightly below that. That would also mean Benning could make some hay at the deadline and deal guys like Higgins, Hansen and maybe Hamhuis and Bieksa. Hammy and Bieksa would be great adds for a playoff run and could fetch a good return (I don't know if they'd waive the NTC but you never know).

[Chef Boi RD]

I don't want to see intentional tanking like how the Oiler mgmt have been operating the last decade not that I won't be quietly cheering for it if the season is a lost but I don't want to see us panicking for a bottom feeder playoff birth giving up prospects and picks for Pahlssons, Higgins and Roys like Gillis, Nonis and Burke did here. There is a good chance that our only draft picks in the starting lineup this year could be the Sedins, Bieksa, Hansen and Edler with Edler and Hansen being the most recent coming out of the 2004 draft class. Simply not good enough.

If the Canucks miss the playoffs we are still getting a very good prospect out of this class. even if we are picking between 10 and 16

[Island Nucklehead]

If the Canucks can bring the 1st period energy and focus throughout the season we might actually be a playoff team. I worry about our older guys' ability to play that up-tempo game. The Pacific division loves that plodding, grinding style, and an up-tempo game could really throw things for a loop, if we're able to play that way every night. I have my doubts, given the teams advancing age.

Sbisa is what he is. He'll never be a top-4 guy, doesn't have the brains. He's a much worse version of Edler, lots of tools, absolutely no tool box. He was a cap dump by Anaheim, and now we see why.

Burrows is nothing without the Sedins. He's being paid for his past production with the Sedins, and now that he's not playing with them, get ready for a 35 point season. Benning should trade him ASAP, because he's not a $4.5M player. He'll be a 3rd liner by the end of the season.

Love Higgins' hands thus far in the pre-season. He's always been our best tweener.

Jensen needs to go back to Utica. He's not an NHL player.

Top line looks ready to go, which is promising, because we need the Sedins to be 75 point players, and Vrbata to pot 35 goals, if we have any hope of a playoff spot.

Where's Bonino? Haven't noticed him out there. In fact, haven't noticed a second line at all.

[mathonwy]

Ok,

Luca Sbisa is the fucking man!!!!

The guy, fucks up, but man..... does he have some confidence. This guy WANTS to succeed badly.

And Willie sees it. So when Sbisa coughed up the puck up the middle to Yakupov, Willie puts Sbisa RIGHT back onto the ice and Sbisa immediately brings the puck back up to create some pressure on the Coil side.

I like what I see and I see a young kid that knows the hockey gods kinda fucked him in Anaheim with him losing his spot to the injury and wants to prove himself a la Drew Doughty / PK Subban.

I hope he stays.

edit.

And I also see a coach that's willing to let his players fuck up. In a GAME SITUATION. That's quite rare in Vancouver. Torts let you know right away if you fucked up. If I remember correctly, AV was not too patient either and I barely remember Crow's coaching style (aside from his squeaky voice).

I think we have the right guy behind our bench to help develop our players.

[Chef Boi RD]

Yeah the second line is a worry, key for that line is for Burrows to rebound, Kassian to take the next step and for the Sedin line to have success to free up Bonino like Getzlaf did.

Like HW said, if Higgins is playing in the top 6 that is not a good sign

The Coaching staff is going to have to do a bang up job in managing the Sedins minutes as so not wear them down in the tough western conference regular season haul, this why the other lines and rolling all four of them is key for us

[sagebrush]

I saw the game situation a little differently.

Positives from the game:

Edler looks more confident than he's been in a long time;
Daniel looks like he's getting his mojo back;
Bonino shows lots of hockey sense, has a good shot, + distributes the puck well;
Vrbata's shot is as advertised;
Burrows is showing his greasy smarts again, even though he's not totally committed yet;
Henrik is as composed as ever, he just needs support, offensive starts, & less shot blocking obligations;
Matthias can play the fast, heavy game that's so important in the Pacific division - too bad his hands weren't better;
Dorset looks smart, & provides good character for the room, as well as the feisty presence we expected from him.


Negatives:

Kassian looks disinterested & not very useful at this point;
Lidster has his work cut out for him in trying to make Sbisa smarter with the puck;
Burrows doesn't have his timing back, & isn't at full hustle/speed yet;
Vrbata's physicality isn't much - the top line is going to have to move the puck real fast to avoid being run over;
Despite Higgins goal, I don't see him as good second line material;
Vey continues to show defensive lapses;
Miller looks only adequate, not the star goalie the Canucks signed - lets hope he's still getting his game together;
Weber is shakey.

[Lancer]

Well Sbisa is no brain surgeon.

But he could sure use one!

Like I said a Doc, he is gonna make Bieksa and Edler look good. Seriously if he keeps playing that way Corrado will take his job.

This guy may become Lidster's greatest project. He was too prominent a piece in the Kesler trade to become the 7th defenceman so you have to work with what ya got. Hopefully between him and the rest of the staff Lidster can mitigate that guy's dopiness.

Sbisa for Franson!!!

That one could be a head-scratcher and arguably a saw-off because Franson is never going to hit like Sbisa and both of them make boneheaded plays, but if Nonis is willing why not take a roll of the dice unless Benning and Co. see something in Luca that the rest of us don't.